The wait is over. Season three of the F1 ACADEMY starts this weekend in new territory: Shanghai. After acclimatising during the three days of pre-season testing earlier this month, F1 ACADEMY drivers Maya Weug, Aurelia Nobels, and Ella Lloyd are excited and ready for the start of the championship.
Maya Weug Welcomes New Challenges with a Fresh Team
Supported once more by Ferrari, Weug finished third in the previous season with 177 points, achieving eight podiums and securing her maiden victory on the last race of the championship. This year, she transitions to MP Motorsport, marking the first time in her career that she will represent a Dutch team.
“It’s a new team for me but we worked very well together in pre-testing on the simulator, so I’m feeling confident. I’m quite happy with how testing went and I think we can bring it on through this weekend,” said Weug.
The Dutch racer has ample reason to be confident, having continued to impress with top-three finishes in testing at Shanghai. Ferrari’s Academy driver was quick to adapt to the opening session as she familiarised herself with the challenging Chinese track.
“Testing was cool; a new track is always nice to learn. I really enjoyed the track as it has some very special corners, very weird corners, but it makes it challenging,” Weug stated. “I think it was positive to have three days of testing, and from my point of view, it was quite a good one.”
Aurelia Nobels’ Renewed Focus
Driving again for PUMA and ART Grand Prix, Nobels had a more challenging season last year. Despite showing great potential, she finished 12th in the standings without a podium finish. The 18-year-old has taken valuable lessons from her debut year and feels more confident entering her second season.
“Last year was a tough one with a lot of ups and downs, but I worked a lot during the off-season. I definitely improved my driving as well, and we worked hard with the team to find the right compromise,” Nobels remarked.
With her experience, she holds a slight advantage this year:
“Being our second year, we have a bit of an advantage knowing a few tracks and having new ones as well. Also, this year, we’ll have a bit more testing, which is good outside of the race weekends,” Nobels added.
2025 Season Outlook: More Races, More Tests, and Reverse Grid
The 2025 season will feature 14 races across seven rounds and will be supported by an extensive 15-day testing programme, emphasising the series’ commitment to providing ample seat time.
Both drivers are enthusiastic about the new calendar and the introduction of reverse grid races under the updated regulations.
“I think the reverse grid is good for the championship, and there will be more fighting, hopefully, in the races. It will be fun,” Nobels commented.
“I’ve never done a reverse grid myself, so that will be a new challenge. I think it will be fun for the fans, especially on tracks where it’s tight and difficult to overtake, but it will add an extra challenge, and I think Shanghai is a good track to overtake with the long straights, especially,” Weug noted.
Ella Lloyd Gears Up for Her First Full Season
Among the new drivers on the grid this year is 19-year-old Welsh driver Ella Lloyd, racing for McLaren operated by Rodin Motorsport. Although she is embarking on her rookie F1 ACADEMY campaign, Lloyd displayed great potential last year. During her Singapore Wild Card appearance, she finished twice in the top ten scoring points—the first and only Wild Card to achieve that—, and her pre-season testing times were solid in the midfield.
“I think the three days of testing last week were really positive because it’s my first time racing in F1 ACADEMY, so I’m still getting used to the car,” Lloyd stated.
“I think this weekend is all about learning about the car, and obviously racing against new people this year, so just getting into the groove of things before we head to the second round.”
Lloyd’s brief but impressive racing history includes a first season in British F4 last year and was the runner-up of the 2023 Ginetta GT5 Challenge.
“I think my first season in single-seaters last year was pretty good. Obviously, in Britain, it’s quite competitive. I managed to do a wild card round as well in the F1 ACADEMY which gave me a little eye-opener this year. So, yeah, taking everything this year and just continuing to learn and doing the dual programme as well with Rodin really boosts my learning this year to keep going and get the points,” Lloyd added.
Dates and Start Times for Shanghai
The first round of the F1 ACADEMY 2025 season in Shanghai will start on Friday, March 21st with Free Practice at 9:10 local time and qualifying later in the day at 14:05 local time. The first race will happen on Saturday, March 22nd at 13:50 local time. And the weekend will conclude with the second race on Sunday, March 23rd at 10:45 local time.
Feature image credit: Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team
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